EV general discussion

Freefaller said:
Thanks again for taking the time to reply - really interesting :)

What I meant by synthetic fuel is not biofuel (i think it's called synthetic e-fuel) - i.e. completely man-made fuels that are just like fuels made from oil, but made in a renewable environment i.e. solar powered / low to 0 carbon power sources - in a lab. I've seen a fair few trials of it - but at the moment it's rare and expensive, and can't cope with the supply / demand.

Emissions from a modern petrol engine is no longer an issue - diesel I'd agree with. From my limited research electric vehicles aren't free from emissions either, as you still need to mine and ship the materials, and you can't guarantee you're charging your car from a renewable source? Some people are getting excited about the extra tire particles that are being created by EVs - not sure how true that is.
Click to expand...

When most people talk about emissions and efuels, we mean exhaust emissions. Emissions from petrol cars are still toxic, they’re not as toxic as diesel but that doesn’t mean they aren’t very damaging to yours and others health. E-fuels so not solve this problem. Even burning hydrogen produces loads of NOX. Petrol cars also produce particulates and NOX, just not to the same extent as as diesel.

The tyre thing is a bit of a fudge, tyre wear is really just a function of for hard you drive. EVs are heavier which is where this comes from and that heavier cars wear tyres faster. Many EVs are and always have been delivered with tyres that are designed to be on an EV and they wear as the same rate as any ICE car. You can wear out a set of tyres quickly in any car. My EV is RWD, has over 300HP and is fitted with high performance tyres. I’m 20k in and it looks like the rears will do at least 30k.


Freefaller said:
Have they come up with a strategy for people that live in flats or in town where they park on the street? I'm guessing next to lamp posts they could just get some charging points. It'll litter the pavement somewhat though I guess and make it tighter for pedestrians and disabled people. How do you stop someone unplugging your car and using it for theirs - does it lock in place?
Click to expand...

This is one of those where solution will vary widely depending on the local situation.

There are loads of cheap sensible solutions such as pavement channels or or poles to get charging cables from peoples homes over the pavement safely if people can park outside their own home.

For flats it’s up to the lease and freeholders to agree a sensible solution. Most can be wired up without issue, it’s mainly who pays for it that’s the problem.

For public charging it’s really up to local councils to attract the relevant private investment to put in on street public chargers where it’s needed and other cheaper solutions such as cable channels are not appropriate. I was Ghent recently and a significant number of street parking spaces in the city had public chargers. Privy companies will install these, it doesn’t need public money.

Have a look at zap map in central London, they are literally everywhere.

Freefaller said:
I don't do super long journeys by car. Last one I did however was driving from the Kent/Sussex border to just outside Paris. We stopped on the train of course. And then did about 3hrs or so without stopping. Anything under 3hrs unless there's a call of nature doesn't feel like a lot of effort. However the train is far better for anything long distance. I'd rather take the train and rent a car/grab a taxi, than drive all the way. Driving in the UK isn't fun. Driving in Europe however is far more enjoyable!
Click to expand...

Driving to Europe is easy, particularly places like France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands etc.

I’ve done a few trips to places like Bruges, Brussels, there are chargers at both ends of the euro tunnel in the departure areas which makes it an absolute doddle. Brim the car while browsing duty free and you get to France with 99% charge. Lots of hotels and most public car parks have chargers.

If anything it’s the U.K. that’s lacking in slower AC ‘destination charging’. If you can charge while the car is parked, you rarely visit rapid chargers en-route.
 
Last edited:
Freefaller said:
Thanks for the insights :)
Click to expand...
It's tricky to puzzle out with so much bad information out there.

EVs generally generate a lot less brake dust as most allow you to drive almost exclusively with motor braking. So pads last absolutely ages.

I would imagine that kind of braking also generates less tyre particles. So find it hard to believe there is a dramatic difference, owners would be up in arms about tyre wear.

People without a driveway still face issues though. It's not great imho, although I personally know one person that made it work. Just some willingness to charge whilst reading a book etc.

They are also very poor at pulling caravans due to the aerodynamics. Around 50% range.
 
Last edited:
as you say there's so many conflated points/arguments out there it's sometimes hard to understand what to take at more than face value.

Personally I'm not ready for the transition without having an ICE car, but as a second car to explore/try I certainly wouldn't mind. However they're far too expensive for me at the moment compared to my current cars. I'd also have to get a wall charger installed which again isn't cheap! The amount of miles we do a year is so small that the investment for us isn't worth it at the moment.
 
Freefaller said:
as you say there's so many conflated points/arguments out there it's sometimes hard to understand what to take at more than face value.

Personally I'm not ready for the transition without having an ICE car, but as a second car to explore/try I certainly wouldn't mind. However they're far too expensive for me at the moment compared to my current cars. I'd also have to get a wall charger installed which again isn't cheap! The amount of miles we do a year is so small that the investment for us isn't worth it at the moment.
Click to expand...
We kept our ICE car (MX-5) for about 6 months after we got our Model 3.

In that period it literally covered about 100 miles.

You said they’re expensive but used EVs are an utter bargain right now because of all the misinformation being spouted by the press and people being concerned about high electric prices (despite being able to charge a car overnight for under 10p from a range of suppliers, Octopus start at 7.5p). If you don’t believe me, have a look on auto trader.
 
mid_gen said:
Well, I was considering an EV purchase in the new year, but since we've just kicked any chance of a workable charging infrastructure 5 more years down the road, forget it.
Click to expand...
I've been having that exact discussion today, and 'wait a few more years' seems to be winning.We'll see.
 
FerretBoy said:
I realised you asked with respect to the Leaf, but for anyone else wondering, it should be very little.

For example with Tesla you do not have to get it services at all and you still get full waranty.

This is their suggested shedule, with my notes:
  • Brake fluid health check every 2 years (replace if necessary). Easy to check at home.
  • A/C desiccant bag replacement every 4* years.
  • Cabin air filter replacement every 2 years. Easy to do at home, they sell the filters cheap.
  • Clean and lubricate brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where roads are salted during winter
  • Rotate tires every 6,250 miles (10,000 km) or if tread depth difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater, whichever comes first. Most people don't bother
*A/C desiccant bag replacement can be extended to 6 years on vehicles manufactured between approximately 2017-2021.
Click to expand...
You forgot the suspension parts that regularly fail…
 
what about mild hybrid stuff with just 1-2 Kwh of batteries (lexus/toyota) , if all those are still allowed post 2035
then 'just' replacing the auto transmission torque convertor with a motor, like ZF do, doesn't really seem in the spirit of net zero.

Price of petrol in 2030 versus electricity will be the killer, too
 
Personally the EU7 electrification tech to warm and pre heat cats aswell as CN6 standards in China the hybridisation was going to be pretty much all cars anyway. So it won’t make a huge difference. Big stuff like range Rovers I see this as a good thing. Let the customers choose not the market and Gridserve are continue to invest and install massively regardless of government plans.
 
Bug One said:
Has this been done at the request of UK car manufacturing?
Click to expand...
I highly doubt it. Ford aren't happy at the news and many other manufacturers are already planning to be fully EV by then anyway. Already phasing out petrol and diesel versions. Vauxhall and Volvo plan on being fully electric by 2028 already. I can't see then changing there plans now.
 
steve5424 said:
I highly doubt it. Ford aren't happy at the news and many other manufacturers are already planning to be fully EV by then anyway. Already phasing out petrol and diesel versions. Vauxhall and Volvo plan on being fully electric by 2028 already. I can't see then changing there plans now.
Click to expand...
You'd think they'd be happy that we'll be switching at the same time as the EU. Clearly they aren't but not sure why.

Nothing stopping them from phasing out ICE from their range earlier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom